John "Mule" Miles​

John Miles was a power-hitting baseball player in the Negro League from 1946 through 1949. He began playing baseball in 1940 while a student at Wheatley High School and starred with local teams such as the San Antonio Black Missions, San Antonio Indians and Kelly Field Brown Bombers. ​

Handpicked by a scout in 1946, Mules signed with the Chicago American Giants of the Negro League where he hit more than 70 home runs in four seasons. He was an excellent outfielder with a strong arm, and his best season was 1947 when he hit 27 home runs. He hit eleven home runs in eleven straight games, a feat that would still be a major league record today. He earned his nickname after his manager commented that he hit as hard as a mule kicks. In 1951, Miles played with the Laredo Apaches of the Gulf Coast league after which he returned to San Antonio to work at Kelly AFB and play on local teams. ​

Miles was recognized by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 as one of the Living Legends of Negro League Baseball. He was inducted into the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 and has made numerous appearances on behalf of baseball and the Negro League.​